


Slumbers Tides

by naturallesbain



Series: Mental Health Of The Gang [2]
Category: The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton
Genre: Overworking, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:20:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26922013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naturallesbain/pseuds/naturallesbain
Summary: Darrel's issues.The goal of this is to be more poetic and let the readers minds run free with interpretations of my writing.
Series: Mental Health Of The Gang [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1963348
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	Slumbers Tides

I worked. That's all I did was work.

I worked 'til my back hurt, 'til I pulled muscles, 'til I passed out. I worked.

I was never one to give half of something, but I've found myself doing that a lot lately.

I could've done better raising Ponyboy and Soda, yet I've done a terrible job.

I'm not made to be a dad.

I wanna be a dad, but I don't wanna be the bad parent.

I don't wanna be Johnny Cade's parents.

No.

Don't wanna be that.

So, I work more.

I work until I can't keep my eyes open anymore.

I work until my hands turn raw and my neck and shoulders are burnt.

I work so that I don't hurt Sodapop more.

I've noticed he's been dropping weight.

His almost tight-fitting clothes lose. 

I need to work harder so that I can afford to put more food on the table for him.

It's life or death for him.

Two-Bit can see how hard I work.

Steve criticizes me for how hard I work, saying that 'its fine Dar! I'll take care of it!'

But he's just a teenager, I ain't doin' that to him.

Johnny sees how hard I work, too.

He brings me aloe sometimes when the sunburns get bad.

Ponyboy sees how hard I work.

He sees how sensitive and sad Soda's gotten, caught him sobbing himself to sleep. 

Ponyboy shouldn't have to go through this, he shouldn't have to live through this.

Dallas sees how hard I work.

He sees it in the way I slug back beers at three in the morning when it hurts too much to sleep.

He sees it in the way I'm constantly hunched over the table with bills piled to my right.

He sees it in the way I break down in front of him. 

He says that he's always been naturally good at math, so he starts to help.

I'm glad he's helping. 

But I still work.

I still work.

My alarm beeps for me to get up.

Its time for work. 


End file.
